Important Line in A Fault In Our Stars

In my book, I have notices there has recently been a very important line that develops plot and is a plot twist. This line is, "I lit up like a Christmas tree, Hazel Grace. The lining of my chest, my left hip, my liver, everywhere." (214) This event is when Gus tells Hazel his cancer is back.

This is very important because it completely alters the plot. If Gus didn't get diagnosed with cancer again, then he wouldn't have to worry about his life. Their relationship has completely changed due to this event. 

Also, this has created a new conflict between Gus and his cancer. He will have to fight it in order to stay with Hazel, and most importantly live. Also it has created an emotional conflict for Hazel because she loves him.

Author Study: John Green

John Green is the author of A Fault In Our Stars, which is the book I am currently reading. To start off he was born on August 24, 1977 in Indianapolis. As a kid, in highschool and middle school he was bullied. John still talks about his experience and how it made life difficult for him, today. He went to Kanyon College and graduated in 2000 with a major is english and religious studies.

He was planning to become a priest, but while working in a hospital where lots of kids have terminal illnesses, he was inspired. That is when he started writing A Fault In Our Stars. Today, he lives in Indianapolis with his wife. Their children's names are Henry and Alice.

Some other books he has written include Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances, Paper Towns, Will Grayson Will Grayson, and of course, The Fault in Our Stars. He uses his real life experiences in his books and I find that really cool.

Another interesting thing about John Green is he has a youtube account. Here is a short biography about him.

My Favorite Book From Last Trimester: My Sister's Keeper

My favorite book last trimester was My Sister's Keeper by Sarah Picoult. There were many things I liked about it. You can click on the link to see where you can buy it. One of these things was how easy it was to relate to the characters. Since this book is about a situation that hardly anyone has been through, I thought it would be very heard to relate to. But Sarah Picoult describes how her characters, Kate and Anna, feel about having to do whatever it takes to keep them alive. These feelings are not unlike how any teenager feels throughout his or her high school career.

Another thing I liked about this book was the plot. The author kept the reader, me, very interested the entire way through. There were many plot twist that kept me turning the pages such as when their lawyer had a seizure in the middle of the hearing. Also, there was lots of suspense added in each chapter. In the beginning, we know that Kate is in a lawyers office but we don't know why. I became intrigued and had to read to find out. Once I found that out, the book led me to wonder other questions and that carried on until the resolution.

Blog Reflection

My quality of writing since beginning my blog has improved dramatically. For instance, I have grown in preventing spelling errors. On one of my first posts, I spelled argument wrong. This I have corrected because I spelled all of the words right on the last few of my posts. Also, I have have become more specific in the details. Towards the beginning of this project I had done well because I included parts from the text, but the actual details were not specific enough. Since in both blogs I wrote about text to text connections, I can compare them. My first blog only consisted of a four line connection, but my last one was five paragraphs long!

One thing I did struggle with this trimester was finding things to write about. Once I covered the topics on the rubric, I wasn't sure what to do. I found my writing becoming repetitive because I had no other ideas. I overcame this by thinking harder and spending more time planning my blogs. I also looked at my classmates blogs when I was commenting and was inspired by theirs. One strength I had while blogging was including text from my book. I think in most of my blogs there was actual text evidence to prove my point. I did not meet my reading goal because I set it for a year instead of one trimester. I updated goodreads.com pretty frequently, but mostly I used it to find a new book to read when I needed one. Lastly, I have improved as a reader over the course of the trimester because I have noticed the connections, setting, and more in my book so that I could blog about it. I think I will continue to notice these and even if I do not blog about it, it will allow me to better understand.

Uglies Plot Twist

Currently, in Uglies, there is a very big plot twist. She finds out from David's mom that when the Society turns someone pretty, they also add a lesion to their brain to make them act stupid and feel "bubbly." 

I think this is important to the book because without it, there would be no sequels. Also, it adds interest to the book. If this event didn't happen, then I probably wouldn't still be reading this book because it would be very boring. 

Uglies Theme

In my book, Uglies, the theme is very present. It is that looks shouldn't define you and everyone is uniquely beautiful in their own way. 

I know this because David, who Tally meets in The Smoke, is not a pretty. He was born in there. When he told Tally she was beautiful, at first she denied it, because she hadn't had the surgery yet. But, since she eventually feels confident in her looks, we can infer that the author wants us to be also.

Uglies Book Summary

I have been reading the book, Uglies. It is by Scott Westerfeld. In the beginning, Tally is living in a society where everyone gets a surgery when they turn sixteen. She is one of the last ones to turn of age. Peris, Tally's best friend, has already had the surgery. He is considered a Pretty. All Pretties do is party. 

During the summer, waiting to turn sixteen, Tally is lonely until she met Shay. Shay leads her on an adventure, and to see where she ends up, and if she gets turned into a pretty, you will have to read Scott Westerfeld's book!

Uglies Connection to Twilight Zone

I can connect the society in Uglies to a clip of Twilight Zone we watched in class last year. In the clip it showed the same kind of ugly verses pretty conflict. The main character was a girl who couldn't have the surgery because it wouldn't work.

They had these unsurgical people in Uglies as well. I know this because Tally was scared she was going to be one of them when she heard, "There's been a problem with your operation." (101).

Also, the main characters both had a conflict of not being able to become pretty. Finally, I would like to make a connection of this video the the previous video I made a blog about. Both have a mood of suspense that is created by the music.

Here is the clip if you would like to make your own connections.

Uglies Movie Trailer Analysis

The second the video starts it sets a mood with the music. The mood is sinister and it makes the viewer prepared for the rest of the trailer. It also gives the viewer and idea of whats to come.

The flash of pictures illustrates the setting. It shows a big city and also says, "In the future..." This is important to the reader because imagery is an important tool to reading. The video also shows something important about the characters. It shows that the people considered ugly in Scott Westerfeld's book are just regular people today.

I think the trailer is good because it shows the conflict, characters, and setting in the book. This is an important thing to the reader because if they don't like one of these traits of the book, chances are they won't like the book in general.

The only thing I don't like about this trailer is the end of the credits. The tidbit at the end is very unprofessional.

If I Stay Book Review

I have recently been reading If I Stay, and I am going to review the book so far. 

I really like how relatable Mia is. She is very passionate about the cello. Most people have something they ate very into, so they have something in common to Mia. People generally like to read about people they can relate to. 

I also really like the authors flow and syntax. I think the way the other words sentences keeps the reader interested. For example she says, "Up and down, side to side." I really like how the author illustrates the movement through her words. 

I don't like the event in which Adam leaves Mia alone in the ICU when he has only been in their for ten minutes. I think that his character is supportive through his other actions, but here he is not. 

Overall though, I really like Gayle Forman's book! 

If I Stay Synopsis Analysis

I would like to review my books synopsis. Firstly, it has some writing in red and some in navy. I think the text in red is emphasized because it is important. Someone who has picked up this book for the first time ever would see the red first. This text is quotes from different reviews of the story. They are all positive so the reader could assume this is a good book, and buy it. 

Next, at the top of a page it reads, "On a day that started like any other..." in a unique font. This shows it's important and draws the reader in. The sentence also interludes into the actual synopsis. 

In the synopsis it explains Mia's life before the accident. It explains the plot in an interesting way to get someone to buy and read it! It also portrays Mia as very relatable because most people like books in which you can relate to the protagonist. 

Finally, at the bottom of the page, there is an advertisement for the sequel. That will increase sales for the authors next novel. 

If I Stay Article Analysis

I found an article that I thought was a great addition to read along with the book. It consists of several questions and answers from the author. Click the link to read it!

One question I would like to focus on from the interviewer was, "What inspired you to write this book?" I believe Gayle's answer is very interesting. She answered with another question:

What would you do if something catastrophic had happened to your family and they were all gone, and you yourself were hovering on the brink between life and death and were somehow cognizant of what had happened to your family. If you could choose to go with your family or stay behind, what would you do?

She says that that's how Mia cane about. So we can learn from and about Gayle through Mia because she wrote from her point of view, what she believed. I think that is a good question to ponder, but hopefully you won't be in that situation.

If I Stay Reading Skills

Recently, I have been reading If I Stay by Gayle Forman. It is about a girl who is in a coma from a car accident. Throughout the book her spirit is conscious, she can see herself and others, even though her body is laying on a hospital bed. Mia struggles with the decision of whether to fight to stay on Earth, without her family, or to give in to the fight.

I predict that Mia will choose to live because I think this story will have a happy ending. I also think she will not give in because I think the theme of this book is to not give up even in the direst of circumstances. If she dies, her character will not demonstrate this theme.

The question I have is what's wrong with her brother, Teddy. In the crash she looks for him, but doesn't find him before the ambulance came. Is he alive or dead with her parents? I think this is important and will be revealed in the story because it could change her decision.

My text to world connection is recently there has been a girl in a circumstance similar to this. I wonder if she went through the same out of body experience Mia is.

My text to self connection is that Mia has a very laid back family. This reminds my of my best friends family. They also act very similarly.

My text to text connection is to my last book, My Sister's Keeper. Both books have a character that has a life or death to make. Mia has to decide if she wants to come out of her coma and Kate has to decide whether to do the kidney transplant.

I think this book is very interesting and I think you should read it!

Poem Analysis

One thing I found interesting in my book, My Sister's Keeper, was that the author chose to insert a poem, before each part, that relates to what's to come.

One example of this is at the very beginning:

"Brother, I am fire
Surging under the ocean floor.
I shall never meet you brother-
Not for years, anyhow;
Maybe thousands of years, brother.
Then I will warm you,
Hold you close, wrap you in circles,
Use you and change you-
Maybe thousands of years, brother."
-Carl Sandburg, "Kin"

This contributes to the story because the relationship between the brothers is similar to the one between Anna and Kate. Anna has to "warm" Kate in order for her to stay healthy. I really like that Jodi Picoult included these because they forshadow what is to come in the story. I believe it's nice to have hints about the future.

My Sister's Keeper Book Recommendation

I have recently finished My Sister's Keeper and I would highly recommend it to a friend. This book is a tragic novel so if you don't mind crying - definitely check this book out! I rate it five out of five stars!

My Sister's Keeper starts out with a young girl with a very big problem. Anna wants to be medically emancipated from her parents. This means that she wants to have the responsibility to make the decision to help her sister stay healthy, or not - all by herself. Throughout the entire book, Anna and her family struggle with the question of, "What is fair?" Her mom has completely focused on keeping Kate, Anna's sister, alive. But, is it fair to Anna to have to sacrifice her life outside of the hospital, for her sister?

The author does a great job keeping the reader interested. There are many characters including Campbell and Julia. They are two lawyers with a past who have to work together on Anna's case. So, not only does the author tell a story through Anna, she tells a parallel story through Campbell and Julia.

She flashbacks to the past as well, in order to thoroughly develop the plot.

Jodi Picoult also keeps the reader from getting bored by having lots of plot twists. In fact, there are several huge revelations in the resolution of the book and you'll have to read it to find out!

Book to Article Connections

I have found an article called, Cancer Survivor Passes on Lesson to her Students. I find that it is very similar to My Sister's Keeper.

One thing they have in common is they both have to struggle with a possibly fatal disease, APL leukemia. Kate and Casey both have to think about what most people can't even imagine.

Casey, in the article, wants to get back to her students - they motivate her to get better. Similarly, Kate has her family wanting her to get better. They both also deeply care about the people close to them.

Both Casey and Kate exceeded the time limit they were given to live. Casey was told she only had three days to live, but it has been four years since she has been diagnosed and she is doing well. Kate was told as a baby she would not live past her childhood, but shes a young adult when she makes the decision not to do the kidney transplant. 

Although Kate is in a story, she is very similar to life around us. I think that is a part of what makes this story so good; the readers can relate to it because nearly everyone has known someone who has had a life threatening disease.

Theme and Summary Video Analysis

My Sister's Keeper, the novel, is also a movie. In this movie, Cameron Diaz is the mom-Sara, Anna is Abigail Breslin,  and Kate is Sofia Vassilieva. Although there were several differences in the movie, this is video shows a summary, as well as an important quote that shows theme.

The beginning of the clip accurately describes how their families life is. Kate has leukemia and Anna was genetically engineered to be a donor. Fast forward a decade and Kate is lucky to be alive. Anna has done countless surgeries to ensure that. But, Kate is going into renal failure and needs a kidney. When Anna learns the effect of this surgery, she's knows she has a difficult decision to make. Then, she goes to a lawyer, Mr. Cambell, and asks him to medically emancipate her. This means that her parents will no longer be able to force her to donate to Kate, but she can still choose to. As they work as a team their characters develop and become friends. Her family also struggles to make decisions that are fair, and have trouble deciding what is. Is it fair for Anna to have to give a kidney? Is it fair to let Kate die? Read the book to find out how the family deals with this struggle, and if it will tear them apart, or make them grow closer. Also, in the trial, many revelations come out, and you will have to read the book to find out what those are!

Next, the interview discusses the theme. Jake Hamilton shares the quote, "There are stars in the night sky that look brighter than the others, and when you look at them through a telescope you realize you are looking at twins. The two starts rotate around each other, sometimes taking nearly a hundred years to do it. They create so much gravitational pull there's no room around for anything else. You might see a blue star, for example and realize only later that it has a white dwarf as a companion-that first one shines so bright, by the time you notice the second one, it's really too late." Finally, the actors discuss what the quote means.

This quote demonstrates theme of one should not take any moments for granted and love everyone for the time they are here. I know this because Kate is the star that shines brighter, at first, but she will turn into a white dwarf, eventually - she will die from leukemia and Anna will be the only one left. This is Brian's way of saying that by the time Anna's alone, it will be too late for her. She won't know who she is without Kate.

Connections and Questions

My Sister's Keeper is a novel in which there is lots of topics that are challenging, and also relateable.

On page 408 Cambell decides whether he should tell the truth about why he has a service dog. My question is, why does the author have him lie? Instead of saying the truth (he's epileptic and the dog is his seizure dog) he says, "I'm a layer... He chases ambulances for me." I don't understand why the author would write that when his and Julia's arguement about why he wouldn't tell anyone is resolved. I think it would make for a better story, and better plot, if Cambell told the truth.

One connection I  have about this novel is text to text. My Sister's Keeper is very similar to Six Months to Live. In both the main character is struggling with a life threatening illness, leukemia. Both stories are about the struggle of having someone endure the pain with you, as your friend - although the situation is more extreme in My Sister's Keeper. Anna not only supports Kate, but donates to her what she needs.

Cambell Alexander Character Analysis

In My Sister's Keeper, Cambell Alexander is a complex character. Anna describes the lawyer on page seventeen, "He's got black hair and he's at least as tall as my dad-six feet-with a right-angle jaw and eyes that look frozen over." (Picoult 17)

At the beginning of the book he doesn't take Anna seriously when she wants to hire him as her lawyer. In fact, it says (in Anna's point of view), "I'm here to retain you,' I say. The lawyer releases the intercom button. 'I don't think so." (Picoult 17) From this quote we can infer he is stubborn and unsympathetic.

This develops the plot because it adds conflict between Anna and Mr. Cambell. She had to convince him to be her lawyer.

But, by the end of the book the reader learns he does care. When Anna says she doesn't know who she really is he answers, "I know who you are. You're the premier doorknob caddy in all of Providence Plantations. You've got a wise mouth, and you pick the crackers out of Chex Mix and you hate math..." (Picoult 411-412). Here it shows he knows Anna well enough to tell her who she actually is.

Also, his relationship with Julia changes. Originally, they wanted nothing to do with another. In fact they agreed upon being only professional. But, in the epilogue,  they get married!

This is a part of the theme because one of My Sister's Keeper themes is never give up on the people you love. Mr. Cambell fell in love with Julia and they still had feeling for each other after not seeing the other for a decade. I know this is evidence of the theme because the author wouldn't include that detail in the story if she didn't want the reader to learn from it.

Both of these pieces of evidence show that Mr. Cambell changes throughout the course of the story. Since complex means "consisting of many different parts" we can infer that a complex character is someone who develops and has many different characteristics.. And he certainly did.

My Sister's Keeper Plot Twist (spoiler alert)

Recently, I have been reading My Sister's Keeper. It is about a girl named Anna who was born with the sole purpose of saving her sister's life. Anna decides in the beginning of the book that she wants to stop her parents from making her give bone marrow, blood transfusions, and more to her sister. As the story unfolds, it tells how Anna struggles with the decision of whether or not to give a kidney.

This novel has an extreme plot twist at the end of the book (spoiler alert) and it involves Anna's life being taken in a car crash, minutes after being medically emancipated. Instead of Anna being worried about Kate, her sister, dying from leukemia, Anna's the one who died. Kate then struggles with the guilt that had been harassing Anna for her whole life.

I think this impacts the story because it is the revolution. The conflict is solved because the decision of a kidney transplant was made. Granted, it was not decided by Anna but it was solved nevertheless. This plot twist definitely surprised and intrigued the reader because it was ironic; it was not what I was expecting at all.

My Summer Reading Book: Room

This summer I read a book called Room by Emma Donoghue. It was about a girl in college who was abducted and kept in a shed for seven years. In that time, she had a son, named Jack. This book is in his point of view as a little kid. Since Jack was born in Room, he never experienced the outside world. In fact, he thought it was all fake. Ma told him the things he saw in TV, such as stores, were fake in order to protect him. She kept this facade going until his fifth birthday where she explained to him that there was a world outside of their little room, and it was hard for him to understand.

Jack changed and developed throughout this book because originally he was oblivious to the world around him and eventually he learned how to manage and live in it. For example, he really liked to watch Dora. When she spoke in Spanish, he explained to the reader through his thoughts that it wasn't English, it was a made up language. He didn't believe or know that people in other parts of the world actually spoke it. But, in the end of the book, he hears someone speaking a language he doesn't understand, and makes the connection that the stranger must be from somewhere else.

Jack also changed in how he interacted with other characters. At first, he was very scared to be by himself and also scared of strangers. So much, that just Ma being in a different room frightened him. But he grew and not only got his own room, he went to the park and made a new friend all by himself.

Finally, Jack enhanced the plot because if he wasn't a character in this story, it would have a completely different topic and theme. The story wouldn't revolve around how he reacts, it would be centered on Ma. She would have very different thoughts because she has experienced the outside world and has a past she misses. The theme would be different because it would not have to do with never giving up on family, Ma wouldn't even have a son!

Jack has a very big role in this story. He has developed throughout the book, interacted with lots of different characters, advanced the plot, and impacted the theme. Without him as a character, this book be very different. 

Click on this link to see what Emma Donoghue has to say about her book. She answers questions about how she did research, as well as how she could bear writing about such a horrible topic.